A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: ChrisGlastonbury on May 24, 2022, 04:11:21 PM
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As a long time DS fan, but relatively new to MK’s solo stuff (I posted a couple of years ago about my late introduction via The Ragpicker’s Dream) I’ve been working my way through the albums.
Anyway, here I am now, having bought and listened to all the solo albums. And I thought I’d give you the headlines.
Best album? Privateering. Love this. Production is great, and the songs really strong. Mark’s voice is superb as well. This should be much better known than it is - it’s a genuine classic, and wow, the harmonica.
Worst: Tracker. Listened several times and I just can’t get into it. Feels like a real misstep.
Still can’t get into Golden Heart. It’s ok but feels very inconsistent.
As for the others, varying degrees of good and great!
Would love to hear other’s thoughts on Privateering and Tracker - see whether I’m out of sync…
Chris
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You have a pretty rational opinion of the albums as they represent almost everything you've described.
Golden Heart was a first solo effort from MK, after many ups and downs, after a devastating On Every Street tour, it was Mark trying to reinvent himself. The album was recorded all other the world, from Nashville to Dublin and London, I'm pretty sure the songs were also compiled from the scope of Mark's own junkyard as he calls it. "Rüdiger", for instance, was written at least 15 years prior to the recording. So a bit of inconsistency should be expected, though the songs are strong as ever.
Privateering, released 10 years ago, was a pinnacle of Mark's partnership with Chuck Ainlay, and a pinnacle of this formula when the albums seemed to be more and more of the same thing, which is no surprise since from 2007 Mark recorded exclusively in his own recording studio, British Grove Studios. Since then more and more effort has seemingly gone into the sonic qualities of the music.
Tracker represents the departure of Chuck Ainlay and Guy Fletcher stepping in as Mark's main co-producer, and this reinventing of the formula continues to this day. I'm "famously" not a fan of it, I would prefer Mark working with Chuck till the end of the world, but I guess he believes his music needed a bit of a refreshing take. Which is fair and works, no doubt about it, just not my cup of tea.
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Sometimes less is more... and Privateering is just too damn long in my opinion. Could do without the blues tracks, or have them on a separate album.
I think Tracker is one of his best, great songs on that one, Basil in particular is beautiful.
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I really like the Tracker album as much as Privateering. Basil, River Towns, Long Cool Girl, Silver Eagle, Whererev I Go... are beautiful songs plus b-sides
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Tracker is one of my top three albums, the other two being KTGC and Shangri-La. I love them all equally!
Regarding Privateering, there are many songs that I like a lot, including the bluesy ones, but it is a bit long and I hardly listen to it these days.
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I love both Privateering and Tracker. My issue with both of these albums is the bonus tracks. I mean, how is Follow The Ribbon not the closer of Privateering?
And Terminal of Tribute To, My Heart Has Never Changed, Time Will End All Sorrow? Any of these would be swappable with Broken Bones, which a song I never understood both lyrically and musically.
Oh well... You get used to it after years of being a fan :)
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Broken Bones is fine for me, but any b-side is better than Skydiver :)
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Privateering is a good album with lots of great songs, but way too long and it would do better without the blusy songs.
My favourite is Shangri-La. The whole production is excellent. The songs, the singing, the playing, the atmosphere, all is excellent.
I love Tracker and its great bonus tracks, Golden Heart, Ragpickers, Get Lucky etc.
Honestly, I l love all of his solos work. Each album has its own identity and I never get tired to listen to all of them.
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"Honestly, I l love all of his solos work. Each album has its own identity and I never get tired to listen to all of them.
:thumbsup
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Broken Bones is fine for me, but any b-side is better than Skydiver :)
Broken Bones was a good opener, but I never liked the live version of Skydiver.
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"...but I never liked the live version of Skydiver.
I can agree here too :)
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It's funny that in retrospect, with Privateering I don't even remember it being a long album at all, I mentally divide it into the blues part and "normal album" part. Surely the blues half needed to be on a separate album or on bonus tracks, but I can't see Mark releasing a "bonus" album filled with blues, so we got probably the safest result (for Mark) with that album. Of course, if you take out some of the blues tracks, the album could've been a 1CD album after all.
It reminds me of the compilation 1962–1966 by The Beatles, which, being just over 60 minutes in length, could've easily been a 1CD album, but they made it a double album just to match the next compilation, 1967–1970. So, strange double album decisions are not a new thing. Right from the moment I heard Privateering is going to be a double album I knew something isn't right here. If you have so many songs, jeez, just release albums more often, no need to put all the eggs in one basket.
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Yes, but remember: album - tour. And there are only 3 years between Privateering and Tracker. Another album at this time has no chance ;)
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"Honestly, I l love all of his solos work. Each album has its own identity and I never get tired to listen to all of them.
:thumbsup
+1
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Broken Bones is fine for me, but any b-side is better than Skydiver :)
I like very much skydiver
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Broken Bones is fine for me, but any b-side is better than Skydiver :)
I like very much skydiver
Amen to that. It worked so well coupled with Laughs and Jokes when done live.
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So I’ve been listening more to the ones I’m less familiar with and I am still struggling with Tracker, DTRW and Golden Heart. On DTRW, in particular, what the hell is Heavy Up? Really? What on earth happened to make anyone think that was a contender for the album?
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I’m hoping that’s why the new album is delayed to record some new music. They’ve done a quick stocktake and so far it’s heavy up and every heart in the room multiple times over :o
I jest!!
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So I’ve been listening more to the ones I’m less familiar with and I am still struggling with Tracker, DTRW and Golden Heart. On DTRW, in particular, what the hell is Heavy Up? Really? What on earth happened to make anyone think that was a contender for the album?
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Yes, this is up there with the very worst of MK’s songs.
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DTTRW has its gems, but I find it's an incredibly incohesive album. It should have been called All Over The Place.
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So I’ve been listening more to the ones I’m less familiar with and I am still struggling with Tracker, DTRW and Golden Heart. On DTRW, in particular, what the hell is Heavy Up? Really? What on earth happened to make anyone think that was a contender for the album?
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I would say DTRW is probably the weakest solo album he's ever released. There are a few songs in there I do like a lot, but I rarely play the full album. I think the brass section doesn't suit Mark's style very much and some of the songs would be better off without them. I always found it interesting to note that the songs that people here usually mention as favourites from that album (One Song at a Time, Back On The Dance Floor, Don't Suck Me In, etc.) none of them feature the trumpet or the sax.
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Mark Knopfler is a sublime songwriter as well as a great one music composer and elegant guitarist recognized all over the world, every single track both the text and the music of each one has its own story.
Many people who have always known my passion for Mark's works they tell me that tracks like Setting Me Up and Money for Nothing or What It Is and Border Reiver they don't seem to be produced by the same person, even after a long time.
Here we all know this aspect, so when they ask me which album is my favourite I tend to answer that they are all worth having, bar none.
Golden Heart it is true that it is very varied but how can one not love the pieces such as Je Suis Desolè or Are We in Trouble Now.
Tracker it's true that 'maybe' it doesn't have the best production that Ainlay could have given, but when I listen to Lights of Taormina and Silver Eagle everything else fades away.
Privateering is it true that instead of a double, a single album could have been made, but again I listen to Go love and Dream of the Drowned Submariner and the rest doesn't count...and I could go on with the rest of the albums.
For music lovers what matters are the songs.
I consider myself lucky to know Mark's work in its entirety, and I have to say 'a lot of stuff', 'great stuff'
really :thumbsup
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Mark Knopfler is a sublime songwriter as well as a great one music composer and elegant guitarist recognized all over the world, every single track both the text and the music of each one has its own story.
Many people who have always known my passion for Mark's works they tell me that pieces like Setting Me Up and Money for Nothing or What It Is and Border Reiver they don't seem to be produced by the same person, even after a long time.
Here we all know this aspect, so when they ask me which album is my favourite I tend to answer that they are all worth having, bar none.
Golden Heart it is true that it is very varied but how can one not love the pieces such as Je Suis Desolè or Are We in Trouble Now.
Tracker it's true that 'maybe' it doesn't have the best production that Ainlay could have given, but when I listen to Lights of Taormina and Silver Eagle everything else fades away.
Privateering is it true that instead of a double, a single album could have been made, but again I listen to Go love and Dream of the Drowned Submariner and the rest doesn't count...and I could go on with the rest of the albums.
For music lovers what matters are the songs.
I consider myself lucky to know Mark's work in its entirety, and I have to say 'a lot of stuff', 'great stuff'
really :thumbsup
I fully agree.
"I consider myself lucky to know Mark's work in its entirety"
:thumbsup :thumbsup
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I'm well known for considering Tracker the worst MK solo record. Except the first and second track, and some songs like "silver eagle" or "mighty man", the rest of record are skippers for me.
It's a matter of taste, and I can't listen that record in full. It bores me to death.
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:thumbsup +1 here
Track One is funny and has a nice melody. Basil is one of the most beautiful MK songs.
That sounds. wow...
The Rest is really boring. Beryl maybe not beacuse it has some cool little solos and it is short
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I love the whole album, including all of the bonus tracks and listen to it without any skips. It is one of my top three solo albums, the other two being KTGC and Shangri-La. :)
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It is nice that we all have a little different tastes here :thumbsup
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Some interesting comments regarding Tracker which I kind of agree with. Whats funny though is you never know when a track that you just don't get will suddenly grab you. That's actually one of the more wonderful musical experiences I can attest to.
Music and the human brain never cease to amaze me.
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It is nice that we all have a little different tastes here :thumbsup
Exactly, and in the end we all do agree that Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest musicians ever.
To me HE IS the greatest! ;)